That controller is the lynchpin for making a mini PC my future home theater center. I care for it more than the steam machine
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I guess worth noting for Steam newbies:
The trackpads can be configured to act as basically any possible kind of input.
You can break them down into 4 way buttons, 8 way buttons, 2 buttons, one button... make them work as a joystick, or as a mouse... they click in a bit at multiple points...
So, if you prefer a different kind of thumbstick orientation, you can basically emulate it.
Literally all of the buttons on one of these things can be reconfigured to do a whole bunch of crazy shit, you can make macros, you can make it so that a little hud popup with scrollable selectable options pop up, you can make combos of key presses do different specific inputs, you can make a turbo function.... etc.
Hell, you can make the gyros act as a mouse/joystick input, in several different modes, maybe only when you hold the aim button down, if you want that.
Anything you run through Steam can be made to work this way with the Steam Input system they invented for with the Steam Deck, the Steam Controller 2.0 is basically a shrunk down Steam Deck without the PC and screen.
EDIT:
There is also an onscreen keyboard functionality, which pops up a keyboard overlay, and then you use both trackpads as basically two thumbs on a smart phone, sort of.
So, if you're playing a game that is 99% controller input, but has a few UIs popups where you get prompted to type in your name or something like that, or I guess even a chat box in an mmo, you can handle it with this.
Also also: Most/Many games come with preset default Steam Input layouts made by the developers. Also, Everyone who uses Steam is capable of basically uploading their control schema for any game to the cloud, and then you are capable of grabbing it and using it.
So, with some games, the developer provided inputs are good, sometimes users develop alternate schemes that are actually better/quite popular, or, maybe you could be the one to make a better config that people like!
If they're the same track pads as on the Steam Deck they don't actually physically click in anywhere, but they have really good pressure sensitivity and can be configured to deliver a haptic feedback "click" back to your thumb when you press hard enough. It feels just like clicking a physical button, but it's all a clever electronic illusion.
To test this on a Deck, try clicking with the unit switched off and keep trying as you hit the power button and it starts up.
To test this on a Deck, try clicking with the unit switched off and keep trying as you hit the power button and it starts up.
I genuinely thought my Deck had a defect when the trackpads didn't click when it was asleep. Like I had somehow ruined the trackpads.
The haptic feedback is so god damn good, it fooled me.
Ah, you're correct!
It quite literally fooled me, but you are right.
The first generation of controllers clicks. Or at least it simulates clicking so much I don't realise it isn't, but I'm pretty sure it does
And the haptics feel fantastic, you can't really judge it correctly without feeling it
I really like how rotating the camera works on the track pad - the right track pad works as a right joystick, but crucially has momentum. So I could do a quick swipe on the pad and the camera would continue moving for a moment after. It also allows fine speed control by changing how quickly I swipe. Once I got used to it, I could make very quick and accurate orientation changes. Much better than joystick imo where you have to hold it down, using up your thumb for a second or two while you turn. As a bonus, the track pad also could be used as buttons so your thumb is already in position to get mashing again.
I don’t like fiddling with configuring a controller. On consoles it typically just works.
There is a system for official or community configurations, on a per game basis. Being able to customize that further, and easily, is the best of all words, and I very often wish one could do something similar on consoles.
The standard layout "just works" 99% of the time, the exact same as a console controller layout. All the fancy stuff is there if you want it, but very rarely required.
Will pay a frankly humiliating amount of money to get one of these ASAP. My OG Steam Controller (my second, in fact) is on death's door.
I hear you. I preloaded my Steam with 150cad. During the steam deck pre order the hold up when the website worked was payment processors.
Fortunately it doesn't contain RAM or flash storage or a GPU, so you may not need to go to humiliation levels of money.
I broke my first steam controller, and an old xbox controller, beating the final boss of Sekiro. My replacement is more-or-less a shelf ornament at the moment due to its irreplaceable nature. That old man's got a lot to answer for.
I will also be at the front of the queue for this. Hesitation is defeat, after all.
This is the only new valve hardware I am interested in. I love the steam deck track pads, so having them on a controller will be awesome.
I want this controller, but I am so annoyed that no controller on the planet comes with separated directional buttons for the D-Pad. Accidental diagonal input is the bane of my existence. The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons have separate buttons and I freaking love it! But the ONLY reason they did that is to allow them to serve as ABXY when held sideways. No "real" controller does this.
The only option I've found to achieve this is to get a PlayStation controller (PS4 or PS5), and mod it with a kit that separates the buttons under the faceplate. But the extra features of the Steam Controller sound too good to sacrifice just for that.
The only D-Pad I've ever actually liked is the 3DS (XL), because it's so clicky and never caused accidental diagonal input. Seriously, how do people accept this crap?
So yeah, I really hope the D-Pad on this is clicky. I'll probably be buying it either way.
I only accept it because I have become used to it.
Otherwise, I do tend to agree with you for the pretty rare time I need to not go accidental diagonal.
Xbox Series controller dpad is very clicky and well defined, so accidental diagonal inputs aren’t a concern with that one.
There’s likely a number of other similar clicky dpads on the market nowadays, it’s been popularised again with quite a few retro handhelds.
I mean, arguably... it isn't a D Pad if its actually seperate buttons.
But anyway, with the Steam Deck, which the Steam Controller 2.0 is basically a scaled down version of, that doesn't have the whole computer and screen... you can at least get after market uh... contact boards?
I'm not sure of the term, but like the internal platter board thing, that the dpad/abxy buttons actually physically connect to, with the trigger/switch mechanisms.
For my deck, I got a kit that replaces the original ones with ones that are much 'clickier', like a mechanical keyboard as compared to a membrane keyboard.
It has more tactile and also audio feedback, beyond just being more responsive... that was like $30 bucks or something?
For a while, it was the case that to do this kind of mod, you'd have to do your own solder, but I waited and eventually somebody in China somewhere started making ones that are pre-soldered, and just require an appropriate screw driver and some dexterity to install.
So... if the Steam Controller takes off, I'd say give it 6 months, and by then something similar will probably exist for it.
luckily the steam controller is very configurable. All the buttons can be remapped, with layers, for basically anything you could imagine. I have an OG steam controller that I use to play helldivers 2. The OG steam controller does not have a D pad at all, and D pad input is very important in that game. Normally you hold LB and then use the D pad to input stuff. So for the steam controller, I added a layer where when holding LB (and only when holding LB) the ABXY buttons become a D pad. So it's ABXY or a D pad depending on the context and proper layers mean I don't even have to think about it. I'm sure if the D pad on this one isn't clicky enough, you could do something like that.
Oh snap it's got the Playstation joystick config.... I kinda want this to replace my dying DS4 I've repaired a few times now. I wonder how easy it'll be to reach over those pads and touch the sticks
I have a bunch of nice controllers that all work on my gaming PC and Macs, etc.
But I’ll probally buy one of these too. I feel like it’s compulsory in a weird nagging way.
this is the only controller than will retire my alpakka 1
I'm waiting years for this, even longer than the Steam Deck exists! I think that I buy it twice, one to use it and the second one as collection (and backup). :-) (Edit: typo, I didn't meant unpacked)
Yay. My Playstation controller is at the point where it needs to be replaced. It's got both battery capacity issues and charging issues. I'm hoping that the Steam controller lasts longer than the PS4 Pro controller b/c for the price that Sony charges, I'd expect those to last longer than mine has, especially given how little time I spend playing / using it.
I've been looking forward to the Steam controller. I was starting to think I should give up and just go get another PS controller. Granted, I'm sure I won't get a first release Steam controller. They'll have a limited quantity and wouldn't surprise me if they're gone by the time that the steam store has recovered from the outage and bugs that crop up every time a new product goes on sale.
Didn’t the PS4 Pro controller come out 10 years ago?
I'm not sure when they came out. Why would it matter, though?
Why would t it matter? Does age not matter when it comes to how an electronic is expected to perform? I don’t expect to get more than 10 years Of perfect play out of any controller. Whether it stick drift or buttons wearing out or whatever the case may be. Nothing lasts forever even in perfect conditions. Not to mention the battery is the quickest thing the degrade anyhow. How often do you even see miniUSB cables?
Why would t it matter? Does age not matter when it comes to how an electronic is expected to perform? I don’t expect to get more than 10 years Of perfect play out of any controller.
You do know that not everybody who owns a PS4 controller bought them on day 1 when they were originally released, right? That it's possible people like myself bought them much later than in 2016, correct? And you also realize that the problems I'm talking about -- those didn't start yesterday.
How often do you even see miniUSB cables?
Literally daily.
I have a setup with my Dualsense Edge (and Steam Deck) for FPS games where I use flick stick and gyro to aim, and swipe on the touchpad to switch weapons. It works disgustingly well. I play FPS games on controller now.
The issue with the first one is that it loses basic controller functionality for the touchpads. Many games that come with controller support don't work well on it without adjusting the controls.
The new steam controller should be fully functional as a standard controller, while having a lot more capabilities when the user can use them.
The trackpads on the deck are nice, it's a great substitute for a mouse when you don't have a mouse. But that's all they are. Not a single game* has done anything to show off any greater potential. Binding ten keyboard keys into a dodgy ring menu is not a pleasant interface. I have never once wanted to use a trackpad as a redundant joystick input. I would like to freely pan around with one pad and point with the other - imagine that in a puzzle box game. Nothing can do this, the closest to an independent view control i've found is "bind mouse wheel up/down buttons to vertical swipes".
Heck, I would like a water filled toy game where you just press the pads to squirt rings upwards, and it feels just a little bit haptically squooshy. Nobody has done even that much to make a game feel truly at home on the Deck with the deck's controls.
The new controller looks nice, but I don't see any reason for it to replace the lowest-common-denominator xbox style controller. Especially when there are some really good xbox clones with magnetic sticks being sold for super cheap.
*okay, there's Aperture Desk Job. That hardly adds up to a game, it's basically the manual that comes with the Deck controller. I've spent more time playing the PC Jr's bios tutorial.
Yeah I only really use track pad as mouse in steam desktop. It's pretty cool there tho.
The Dishonoured games and Prey by Arcane Studios actually bothered to make proper Steam Controller configs and use the proper glyphs too, it makes a difference
Try out a steam deck if you get a chance. The haptics are fantastic and makes using a mouse with your thumb feel very natural
Just a note, as someone who owns a Stream controller ignore the sticks, it's the pads you should be using.
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